Elizabeth Ann Gilmour (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Smart; born November 3, 1987) is an American child safety activist and commentator for

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show '' Good Morning America'', '' ...

. She gained national attention at age 14 when she was abducted from her home in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

by Brian David Mitchell. Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, held Smart captive for nine months until she was rescued by police officers on a street in

Sandy, Utah Sandy is a city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population of Sandy was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah. The population is currently estimat ...

. Smart has since gone on to work as an activist and

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However ...

for missing persons. Her life and abduction have been the subject of numerous non-fiction books and films.

Early life

Elizabeth Ann Smart was born on November 3, 1987, in

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

to Edward "Ed" and Lois Smart. Her family was part of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

. She is the second-oldest child in her family; she has four brothers and one sister. Smart attended Bryant Middle School and East High School in Salt Lake City. She later enrolled in

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

, where she earned her

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orc ...

performance.

Kidnapping

On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Smart was abducted at knifepoint from her bedroom in her family's house in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the next nine months, she was raped daily, tied up, and threatened with death if she attempted to escape. She was rescued by police officers on March 12, 2003, on a public street in

, from her home. Two witnesses recognized abductors Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee from an ''

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...

'' episode. On November 16, 2009, Barzee pled guilty to assisting in the

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

of Elizabeth Smart as part of a

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or ''nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendant ...

with prosecutors. On May 19, 2010,

federal Judge Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state/provincial/local level. United States A US federal judge is appointed by the US President and confirmed by the US Senate in accordance with Article 3 ...

Dale A. Kimball sentenced Barzee to 15 years in

federal prison A federal prison is operated under the jurisdiction of a federal government as opposed to a state or provincial body. Federal prisons are used for convicts who violated federal law (U.S., Mexico), inmates considered dangerous (Brazil), or those s ...

. As part of a

plea deal A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or ''nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendant ...

between the defense and federal prosecutors, he gave Barzee credit for seven years that she had already served. The court found Mitchell

competent Competence may refer to: *Competence (geology), the resistance of a rock against deformation or plastic flow. *Competence (human resources), a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job *Competence (law), the me ...

to stand trial for kidnapping and

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

charges. He was found guilty on both counts and sentenced in May 2011 to two life terms in

Activism and media coverage

On March 8, 2006, Smart went before the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

to support

sexual predator A sexual predator is a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically "predatory" or abusive manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to "hunt" ...

legislation and the

AMBER Alert An Amber Alert (alternatively styled AMBER alert) or a child abduction emergency alert ( SAME code: CAE) is a message distributed by a child abduction alert system to ask the public for help in finding abducted children. The system originated in ...

system. On July 26, 2006, she spoke after the signing of the

Adam Walsh Act The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act is a federal statute that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on July 27, 2006. The Walsh Act organizes sex offenders into three tiers according to the crime committed, and man ...

. In May 2008, she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she helped present a book, ''You're Not Alone'', published by the U.S. Department of Justice. It contained entries from her as well as four other recovered young adults. In 2009, Smart commented on the

kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard On June 10, 1991, Jaycee Lee Dugard, an eleven-year-old girl, was abducted from a street while walking to her school bus stop in Meyers, California, United States. Searches began immediately after Dugard's disappearance, but no reliable lea ...

, stressing that dwelling upon the past is unproductive. On October 27, 2009, Smart spoke at the 2009 Women's Conference in California, hosted by

Maria Shriver Maria Owings Shriver (born November 6, 1955) is an American journalist, author, a member of the Kennedy family, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. She was married to ...

, on overcoming obstacles in life. In 2011, Smart founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which aims to bring hope and end the victimization and exploitation of sexual assault through prevention, recovery, and advocacy. In March 2011, Smart was one of four women awarded the Diane von Furstenberg Award. On July 7, 2011,

announced that she would work as a commentator for them, mainly focusing on missing persons. In July 2012,

Theta Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha (), commonly known as Theta Phi, is a women's fraternity founded at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 nationa ...

National Fraternity honored Smart with the Siena Medal award. The medal is the highest honor the organization bestows upon a non-member. They named it after their patroness, St. Catherine of Siena. On May 1, 2013, in a speech at a

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extr ...

conference at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

, Smart discussed the need to emphasize individual self-worth in fighting human trafficking and the importance of dispelling cultural myths surrounding girls' loss of value upon sexual contact. Having been raped by her captor, she recalled the destructive impact of exposure to abstinence-only sexual education programs. Many of them teach that a sexually active girl is akin to a chewed piece of gum. "I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm that chewed up piece of gum, nobody re-chews a piece of gum, you throw it away.' And that's how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value," Smart said. "Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even make a difference if you are rescued? Your life still has no value." Smart went on to ask that listeners educate children on having self-worth, avoiding viewing themselves as victims. In February 2014, Smart testified before the

Utah State House of Representatives The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district co ...

in favor of HB 286. The bill would create an optional curriculum for use in Utah schools to provide training on child sexual abuse prevention. In early 2015, Faith Counts featured Smart in a video in which she explains how her religion sustained her through her ordeal and helped her heal. As of September 2016, Smart is a correspondent for the true-crime show ''

Crime Watch Daily ''Crime Watch Daily'' is an American syndicated investigative news magazine television series. Premiering on September 14, 2015, the program was originally hosted by veteran Australian television journalist Matt Doran. The remaining two seaso ...

''. Various state politicians have proposed bills that would require all computers to have a pornography filter, branding it the "Elizabeth Smart Law." However, in March 2018, her spokesman denied her relationship to the proposal. Her lawyer sent a

cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not disc ...

letter to the politicians in which they were ordered not to use her name. On June 5, 2017, on the 15th anniversary of her abduction, Lifetime aired the made-for-TV film titled ''

I Am Elizabeth Smart I Am Elizabeth Smart is a 2017 American crime television film that aired on Lifetime that detailed the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. The film features Elizabeth Smart as the narrator and stars Alana Boden, Skeet Ulrich, Deirdre Lovejoy, Georg ...

'', narrated and produced by Smart, which tells the story of her kidnapping from her perspective. The film starred Alana Boden as Elizabeth Smart, Skeet Ulrich as Brian David Mitchell, Deirdre Lovejoy as Wanda Ileen Barzee, George Newbern as Ed Smart, and Anne Openshaw as Lois Smart. In 2018, Smart published ''Where There's Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up'' with St. Martin's Press. In 2021, Smart competed on '' The Masked Dancer'' as "Moth". She was eliminated during the third episode of the series, placing eighth overall in the competition. Her abduction and rescue were widely reported and were the subject of a

made-for-TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, ''

The Elizabeth Smart Story ''The Elizabeth Smart Story'' is a 2003 American made-for-television crime drama film about the high-profile Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. It was broadcast less than eight months after her recovery. It was based on the book ''Bringing Elizabe ...

'', Lifetime's ''

'' and non-fiction books. In October 2013, ''My Story'', a

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

of Smart's experience co-written with Chris Stewart, was published by St. Martin's Press. The book details both Smart's kidnapping and the formation of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which works to promote awareness about abductions. Smart has played the

on national television in the United States. Smart's uncle, Tom Smart, and author Lee Benson wrote a book about the search for Smart, ''In Plain Sight: The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation''. Her father wrote another book about Smart's kidnapping, called ''Bringing Elizabeth Home''. A television movie, ''

'', was made in 2003, based on the book by Smart's father. In 2022, Elizabeth Smart was the executive producer of the Lifetime movie ''Stolen by Their Father'' as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature film which talked about Lizbeth Meredith's plans to reclaim her daughters after being kept in Greece by Meredith's ex-husband during their visit to him.

Personal life

On November 11, 2009, Smart left

to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. Smart temporarily returned from her mission in November 2010 to serve as the chief witness in the federal trial of Brian David Mitchell. After the trial, she returned to France to finish her mission, coming home to Utah in early 2011. While serving as missionaries in the Paris Mission, Smart met

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

native Matthew Gilmour. In January 2012, after a courtship of one year, they became engaged. They married on February 18, 2012, in a private ceremony in the Laie Hawaii Temple. Since then, the couple has had three children in 2015, 2017, and 2018. In 2019, while traveling home to Utah aboard a Delta Airlines flight, Smart was awakened by the passenger next to her rubbing her inner thigh. She reported the incident and began a self-defense program for women and girls called Smart Defense.

References

Citations

Sources

* * *

External links

*
Elizabeth Smart inspirational documentary: "Your Past Does Not Dictate Your Future"

Elizabeth Smart Missing Child Profile
at ''America's Most Wanted''
Elizabeth Smart's TEDx Talk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart, Elizabeth 1987 births 21st-century Mormon missionaries ABC News personalities American Christian writers American classical harpists American founders Latter Day Saints from Utah American memoirists American Mormon missionaries in France American nonprofit executives American women activists Activists from Utah Anti–human trafficking activists Brigham Young University alumni Child crime victim advocates Female Mormon missionaries Kidnapped American children Living people Musicians from Salt Lake City Writers from Salt Lake City Sexual abuse victim advocates Women founders American women memoirists Mormon memoirists Women harpists